1. George Washington
1st President

3. Washington for President
Unanimously elected as president by the Electoral College in 1789
Took the oath of office on April 30, 1789
Established a diverse cabinet – not necessarily Constitutional
Sec. of State – Thomas Jefferson
Sec. of Treasury – Alexander Hamilton
Sec. of War – Henry Knox
Edmund Randolph – Attorney General

4. Hamilton’s Financial Plan
Pay off national debt
National as well as state
Protect American Industries
Custom duties & excise taxes
Create a National Bank

5. Hamilton Battles Jefferson for a Bank
Hamilton proposed a national treasury
Opposed by Jefferson as being unconstitutional
Hamilton’s views:
What was not forbidden by the Constitution was permitted
A bank was “necessary and proper”
He evoked the Elastic Clause

6. Jefferson’s views:
What was not permitted was forbidden
A bank should be state controlled
Strict interpretation of the Constitution
End Result: Hamilton won the dispute, and Washington signed the bank measure into law.
The Bank of the United States was created by Congress in 1791, and was chartered for 20 years
Located in Philadelphia
Stock was open to public sale

7. The Emergence of Political Parties
Hamilton’s policies seemed to encroach on states’ rights
As resentment grew, what was once a personal rivalry between Hamilton and Jefferson gradually evolved into two political parties
Federalists (Hamilton)
Democratic-Republicans (Jefferson)
Since 1825, the two-party system has helped strengthen the US

8. Foreign Affairs The French Revolution (1793)
Washington issues Neutrality Proclamation
Jay’s Treaty (1794)
John Jay sent to negotiate with Great Britain to stop the seizure of US merchant ships & seamen
Pinckney’s Treaty (1795)
US receives navigation rights to the Mississippi River from Spain

9. Domestic Issues Treaty of Greenville (1795)
had the Indians cede their land in the Ohio country to the Americans
Whiskey Rebellion (1794)
Farmers revolted against Hamilton’s excise tax
Washington sends in troops
Lesson: this government is strong, unlike the Articles of Confederation

10. Washington’s Farewell
After his second term, Washington stepped down
His farewell address warned:
Against political parties
Against building alliances with foreign nations
Hamilton was the logical choice to become the next president, but his financial plan made him unpopular
John Adams won (71 to 68) against Thomas Jefferson

11. John Adams
2nd President

12. Unofficial Fighting with France
France was furious about Jay’s Treaty
XYZ Affair – John Adams sent three representatives to France
French foreign ministers (X, Y, & Z) demand a bribe – US refuses
Many Americans called for war with France – Adams remained neutral
An undeclared war with France raged over the seas for 2 ½ years

13. Adams Puts Patriotism Above Party
three American representatives were met by Napoleon to work out a treaty with France
Peace negotiations were not popular with Americans
Adams loses popularity and chance for a second term

14. The Federalist Witch Hunt
Naturalization Law – raised requirements for aliens who wanted to become citizens from 5 to 14 years, a law that violated traditional American policy of open-door hospitality
Alien Law -Allowed the president to deport dangerous aliens during peacetime and jail them during times of war
Sedition Act provided that anyone who impeded the policies of the government or falsely defamed its officials would be liable to a heavy fine or imprisonment

15. The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
Jeffersonians did not like the Alien and Sedition Acts
Jefferson wrote a series of legislation that Kentucky approved in , and friend James Madison wrote another series that Virginia approved:
This legislation set out to kill the Alien & Sedition Acts
Only those two states adopted the laws
Federalists believed the Supreme Court had the only power to nullify legislation